


This Could Be Paradise

by Onthecyberseas



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Mission Fic, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Undercover as a Couple, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-30 21:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19035655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onthecyberseas/pseuds/Onthecyberseas
Summary: Steve and Sam must pose as a married couple at a Hawaiian resort. However, Steve doesn't want it to be fake.





	This Could Be Paradise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_genderman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_genderman/gifts).



> Thanks to my artist the_genderman for your amazing artwork and your patience.

Steve looked out the window of the plane at the vast ocean below. It reminded him of his flight back in the war that had caused him to end up in ice, but that memory was the least of his worries on this light. Steve glanced over at the flight map on the screen in front of him and saw they were about thirty minutes away from landing at the Hawaiian airport. He had another thirty minutes after that to compose himself, as his stomach had been churning on and off with nerves for almost the entire trip. He glanced over at Sam, who was quietly reading his book in the seat next to him. 

Though he knew that Sam was in fact sitting next to him, Sam looked like a completely different person. Steve looked at his own reflection in the glare of the window, not able to recognize his own disguised face. For once, Steve was grateful for the shield technology and that they wouldn’t be recognized. At the very least, the fact that they looked like two different people soothed his worries somewhat. However, he knew he wouldn’t be able to fully relax until the mission was over. 

It wasn’t the mission itself he was worried about, but the conditions of the mission. A week ago, Fury had sat him and Sam down, telling them they would be investigating a drug trafficking operation that was alleged to be running out of a Hawaiian resort. The only catch is that the only room available was a honeymoon bungalow on the edge of the beach and that they would need to go undercover as a couple to infiltrate the resort.

The operation itself was simple enough and Steve had no issue pretending to be a part of a couple. He remembered the time that he had kissed Natasha when they were on the run to remain undercover. However, the difference this time was that his feelings for Natasha then were strictly platonic, and his feelings for Sam were…a little more complicated.

Over the years of morning jogs and battles, Steve had definitely thought of Sam as more than just a friend quite a few times. Spending time with Sam, whether it was on a mission or just catching up on modern movies, was always the highlight of Steve’s days. What really cemented it were the dreams he had about Sam every couple of nights. Platonic friends didn’t dream of kissing…or anything beyond that. 

The only person he had told about it was Bucky, who was super supportive about it but had been teasing him from the moment he told him about this mission until the time he and Sam left for the airport. Natasha had also spent a lot of time over the past week smirking at him, but he doubted that had any relation to this.

Steve glanced over at Sam, still engrossed in his book. He smiled at the look of concentration on Sam’s face, but quickly turned his attention back to the plane window. He could never tell Sam the truth, after all Sam was straight and would never feel the same way about him. The best he could do was get this mission over with quickly and then pretend it never happened.

A couple of minutes later the plane finally began its descent and Sam put his book away. They shared a quick look as the plane touched down on the runway and Steve felt his face heat up at Sam’s smile. Once the plane pulled into the airport, the people around them stood up and began pulling their bags out of the overhead compartments. Steve and Sam waited until most of the plane cleared out before grabbing their own bags and walking off the plane.

After picking the rest of their bags up from baggage claim, they made their way out of the airport towards the airport shuttle. Steve and Sam were quiet during the ride to the hotel and checked in as Mr. and Mr. Jones. The woman at the front desk gave them their keys and they walked to their bungalow.

Once they found the correct bungalow, Sam opened the door and they brought their luggage inside. Steve looked around the bungalow, finding the accommodations far better than what he was used to on typical missions. His nerves started acting up again upon seeing that there was only one bed in the suite. He knew that would be the case, but it didn’t make the reality of the situation hit any less hard.

“I’ll take the couch,” Steve blurted out as Sam walked into the room. He had disabled the device that disguised his face and Steve did so as well. After all, they were alone now, and it was several feet towards the next bungalow.

Sam shook his head. “I’ll take the couch. I’ve slept on worse.”

“Me too,” Steve replied, grimacing upon remembering his previous missions. He gestured to the bedroom. “Take it, I insist.”

Sam opened his mouth to protest but quickly shut it. “How about we switch? I’ll take it tonight and you take it tomorrow night.”

Steve nodded in agreement, conceding that the option worked best for both of them. He quickly unpacked his things before stepping out of the bungalow for a look at their surroundings.

Steve dug his toes into the sand, finding the texture strange yet not entirely unpleasant. The last time he had seen sand was during the war when he was running missions for the army. Though he was on yet another mission, he couldn’t deny how the warm weather and bright sun allowed him to feel more relaxed than he normally did, despite the circumstances.

The place was truly paradise, and the perfect spot for a honeymoon. A vision of him and Sam vacationing there for real flashed in his mind. Steve desperately tried to push the image out of his mind and glanced back to the bungalow where Sam was sitting on the steps, looking over at him. 

“We should get our cover story straight,” Sam said as Steve approached him.

Steve gulped, fighting to conceal his blush. “Okay.” He took a deep breath and said, “We can keep the story of how we met the same.”

Sam nodded but joked, “We’ll just leave out the part where you kept running faster than me.”

Laughing nervously, Steve nodded. “Deal.” He glanced out at the vast ocean as he thought carefully. “How about we make it that I proposed to you where we met.”

“That works,” Sam agreed. “And we got married last week. Small ceremony.”

Steve blushed at the thought of him and Sam getting married, surrounded by their friends and family. He shook his head, trying to pull himself together. “Sounds like a plan,” Steve agreed, unable to look Sam in the eyes.

They spend the rest of the afternoon going over the details of what Fury told them about the mission. Putting their disguises back on, they walked around the resort, scoping the place out. They met a couple of friendly couples as they walked around, most of them were newlyweds.

Steve and Sam introduced themselves as Grant and Thomas Jones and kept to their agreed cover story. Sam grabbed his hand to sell the story and Steve squeezed it back as he felt the butterflies filling up his stomach.

Thankfully, the sun started to set soon after and it was time for dinner. Upon arriving at the restaurant, they were taken to a specially set table in the back of the restaurant. The table was lined with rose petals and a fresh bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket. Steve pulled out Sam’s seat for him, and Sam thanked him as he sat down. Steve took his own seat across the table and the waiter poured the champagne for them.

Steve held up his glass and simply said, “Cheers,” before they clinked glasses. He downed his champagne quickly upon seeing Sam smiling at him, trying to look as though they were truly in love, and picked up his menu to hide his blush.

The waiter came over and they gave him their orders. Steve watched the dining room out of the corner of his eye, looking for any sign of suspicious activity. He noticed Sam watching him and focused his attention back to him.

“Is everything alright, St…Grant?” Sam asked, looking concerned. “You seem stressed, even more than you usually are on missions.”

Steve took a sip of his drink to avoid answering. “I’m fine,” he replied, hoping Sam would drop the subject.

Thankfully, Sam didn’t bring it up again. Steve saw a nearby couple looking at them a couple of feet away and leaned in. Forcing himself to smile, he said loudly. “How are you enjoying the resort so far, dear?”

Sam smiled, leaned in and pecked his cheek. “Everything is perfect.” Steve’s face flushed as he replayed the feel of Sam’s lips on his cheek. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”

Steve saw that the couple watching them had stood up and were walking towards them. They stopped at their table and he and Sam looked up at them. “Are you newlyweds as well?” The woman asked.

“We are,” Sam quickly said as Steve froze. “I’m Thomas and this is Grant.”

The woman of the couple grinned, “I’m Lindsay and this is my husband Rick.” Rick shook their hands and Steve noticed an interesting looking wolf tattoo on his right wrist.

“Pleasure to meet you, too,” Steve said, settling into his cover. “How long have you been on your honeymoon?”

Lindsay answered, “Only a couple of days.” She flashed them a dreamlike smile and added, “It’s so magical here. What about you?”

Sam quickly answered, “We just arrived today.”

Lindsay’s eyes lit up while Rick continued to remain stoic. “You have to join us tomorrow. We were going to take a boat ride.” Steve hesitated, not wanting to stray from the mission for too long. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back by the afternoon,” Lindsay assured them, seeming to have read Steve’s mind.

“That sounds great,” Sam said. “We’d love to join you.” They made plans to meet tomorrow morning outside Lindsay and Rick’s bungalow and the couple returned to their seats as their waiter returned with their food. They ate in silence and Sam whispered, “We might as well have a little fun while we’re here. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.”

Steve nodded, knowing that Sam had a point. “It’ll be fun,” he conceded. Participating in the resort’s activities would be fun, and it would allow them to investigate while maintaining their cover. They ate the rest of their meal in silence and the waiter brought them a decadent dessert for the two of them to share. 

Once they returned to the bungalow, Steve yawned as the long day was finally starting to catch up to him. He and Sam deactivated their disguises before getting ready for bed. Sam took the couch while Steve climbed into the bed. Looking up at the ceiling above him, Steve replayed the evening repeatedly in his mind, remembering the feeling of Sam’s lips on his cheek. He hoped they would be able to complete the mission quickly so that they could return home and things would go back to normal. 

After several minutes, Steve finally fell asleep. However, Sam followed him into his dreams, pulling him in for yet another kiss. Steve’s dream self eagerly kissed back as he had many times before. Thankfully, that was as far as it went that night but that did nothing to calm Steve’s anxiety when he woke up.

As he opened his eyes, he saw Sam sitting at his bedside, holding a cup of coffee. “Good morning,” Sam said with a smile.

Steve sat up taking the coffee cup in his hand. He smiled as he tasted the coffee, thrilled that Sam got his coffee order right. “Morning,” Steve grumbled back as he started to feel more awake. “Did you sleep well?”

Sam shrugged. “I slept well enough. You?”

The images from Steve’s dream filled his mind and Steve looked away. “Like you said, well enough,” he mumbled. Climbing out of bed, he quickly got dressed for the day ahead. They left the bungalow moments later holding hands as they walked over to meet Lindsay and Rick.

Lindsay had a bounce in her step as she and Rick walked out of their bungalow to join them. “Morning!”

“Good morning,” Sam replied with a small smile. “How did you sleep?”

Lindsay laughed at the question. “What’s that?” She asked jokingly. Steve’s face flushed at the implication while Sam laughed politely.

“It was a long flight,” Sam explained. Rick nodded in understanding but still looked a little suspicious at the sight of the two of them. He led the group to the harbor where a small boat was waiting for them. The four of them boarded the boat while their guide showed them around. 

Steve and Sam settled into the bench installed on the deck of the boat and Lindsay and Rick sat on the one on the other side of the boat. Rick popped a bottle of champagne and poured them glasses. “To happy endings,” Lindsay toasted.

“To happy endings,” Steve mumbled bitterly as he downed his glass of champagne.

Their guide started the boat’s motor and steered the boat away from the dock and into the open water. The four watched as the boat sailed past the beautiful scenery of the islands.

“It’s beautiful,” Steve said, allowing himself to enjoy the scenery. He remembered the situation they were in and added, “Like you.” He glanced over at Sam and saw that he was grinning.

To Steve’s surprise, Sam leaned in and pecked his lips. Steve felt his lips tingling but fought back against his urges to deepen the kiss. His face turned even redder upon seeing that Lindsay and Rick were watching them with a curious smile. Sam pulled away and Steve refocused his attention back on the sights of the islands, grabbing Sam’s hand as he allowed himself to relax and enjoy the feel of the cool wind on his face.

As they continued to sail through the water, Lindsay and Rick asked them questions about their lives and their relationships. Steve and Sam answered the questions to the best of their abilities without blowing their cover stories and revealing their true identities.

As the boat returned to the harbor, Steve stepped off the boat and Sam followed him. “What are your plans?” Lindsay asked as she and Rick stepped off the boat behind them.

“We were going to head back to the room,” Steve lied.

Lindsay gave them a knowing smile and Steve wished the ground would swallow him whole. “There’s a dance club not too far from the resort,” Lindsay told them, “Do you want to join us there tonight?”

Steve was about to turn the offer down, but Sam spoke first. “We would love too.” He grabbed Steve’s hand before saying, “Enjoy your afternoon.” 

Steve allowed himself to be led back to the bungalow by Sam. They waited for a couple of minutes to determine that the coast was clear before stepping back outside. Walking around the resort, they found several couples relaxing and taking advantage of the resorts’ facilities, but nothing appeared suspicious to them. 

Steve noticed a door marked “Employees Only,” and pointed it out to Sam. “We’re not getting anywhere just standing around,” Steve whispered.

Sam nodded in agreement and they made their way to the door. They looked around to make sure nobody was watching before opening the door and making their way inside the room. They walked down a hallway past several offices of resort staff. Most of them were empty and Steve knew they didn’t have time to search every single one.

As they continued walking down the hallway, they passed the biggest office they had come across. Inside was an irate man, clearly the resort manager, who was talking on the phone. “The shipment should have been here yesterday, Frank!” Steve and Sam looked at each other before flattening themselves against the wall, remaining silent as they eavesdropped. “I don’t care, just get it to me by tonight!”

They heard the manager slam the phone down and walk out of the office. Sam quickly grabbed Steve and planted a kiss on his lips. Steve’s eyes widened, but he kissed back. “What are you two doing in here?” The manager asked them, putting his hands on his hips. “This area is not for guests.”

Steve reluctantly stopped kissing Sam. “We were looking for the bathroom.”

The manager sized the two of them up and Steve and Sam did their best to look as innocent as possible. “It’s to the right of the pool,” the manager finally told them. “Go back down the hallway and turn right. Don’t let me catch you back in here.”

“Yes, sir,” Steve assured him. He took Sam’s hand and led him back out to the pool. 

Once they were finally outside, Steve breathed a sigh of relief. “That was close.”

Sam nodded in agreement. “He seemed very irate about his ‘shipment’ not being there.” He paused before adding, “It could be unrelated though.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Steve declared. Hopefully, the office would be clear in the middle of the night so they could investigate further. 

Steve and Sam returned to the bungalow and disabled their disguises once they were inside. “Care to play a game?” Sam asked.

Steve quickly shook his head. “I think I’m going to lie down for a bit.” He started towards the bedroom but remembered that he agreed to take the couch for the evening. Sam went into the other room, and Steve laid down on the couch. He touched his lips where Sam’s lips had been only minutes before. His mind was swirling as the kiss, even though it was fake, was still better than any they had in any of his dreams.

His head was spinning as he realized that things wouldn’t return back to normal after the mission was over like he had hoped. His feelings had only intensified during this mission and he knew they would only grow the longer that they kept up this charade. It was nice to pretend that they were together, but he knew that it would be over the moment they left the resort. Thinking otherwise would permanently ruin their friendship and Steve didn’t know how he would deal with it.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked. Steve sat up and saw Sam watching him with concern from the doorway.

Steve nodded. “Everything’s fine,” he assured Sam, unable to look him straight in the eyes while he lied yet again.

Thankfully, Sam returned to his room and Steve returned to staring at the wood pattern of the ceiling. About an hour later, he remembered they had agreed to meet Lindsay and Rick later. He quickly showered and dressed up in a suit for the evening. Sam met him outside the bathroom in his own suit and Steve took in how handsome he looked.

They left the bungalow and found Lindsay and Rick waiting for them. The couple led them to the club, and they got a table near the back of the room. Sam offered to get them drinks, and Steve watched the dancefloor as couples danced together to the rhythm of the music.

“Are you okay, Grant?” Lindsay asked. 

Steve turned his attention to her. “Everything’s fine,” he insisted, wondering how many more times he would have to say those words. Sam returned with their drinks and Steve gratefully took his drink. It was one of the few times he wished that the drink would actually be able to affect him.

Lindsay and Rick took to the dance floor and Sam asked him to dance. “Are you mad at me?” Sam asked as they slow danced across the floor.

“What?” Steve sputtered as he concentrated on his footwork. “Why would I be?”

The song changed but Steve and Sam continued their dance. “You’ve been acting weird this whole trip,” Sam confessed, “Clearly you don’t want to be here with me.”

Steve gaped at him. “That’s not true,” he replied. He felt bad that he had given Sam that impression, that he had been so wrapped up in his own feelings that Sam had felt like he was being pushed away.

“Then why are you acting like even the thought of being with me repulses you?” Sam looked questioningly at him.

Steve froze as he debated how to respond. “Let’s go outside,” Steve said, pulling him off the dance floor, out of the club, and into the nearby alleyway. Sam looked expectantly at him as Steve tried to compose himself. “I’m sorry I gave you that impression,” Steve began, “But it’s not true. In fact, it couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Sam looked even more confused and Steve realized that he couldn’t hide the truth any longer. “The thought of being with you is all that I think about.” Sam’s eyes widened in surprise, and Steve felt somewhat relieved admitting the truth out loud. “Not just for this mission, but for real. This mission is a dream come true, but then I remember that it isn’t real.” Steve glanced at Sam, but Sam still appeared to be in shock.

The reality of what he had just confessed hit him and Steve knew he needed to get out of there. “I’ll see you tonight for the mission,” Steve said before running out of the alleyway. He returned to the resort the way they had come. He ran onto the beach and slipped his shoes and socks off.

Steve wiggled his toes in the sand as he felt the cool sand surround his feet. He sat on the steps of the bungalow and looked out at the moonlit sky ahead. This place was truly paradise and he hoped he would get the chance to enjoy it with someone for real someday.

He heard someone approaching and turned to see that Sam had returned. Steve stood up and grabbed his shield from the bungalow. He slipped it onto his back and neither of them spoke as they returned to the employees’ entrance. They determined that the coast was clear and made their way through the door. Once they arrived at the manager’s office at the end of the hall, they went inside and searched for any potential leads.

“I’ve got something,” Sam finally broke the silence after a couple of minutes. He handed Steve a ledger which was clearly supposed to be off the books, as it was written in some kind of code. 

Steve nodded as he shut the ledger. “That’s definitely something.” He put it in a bag, and he continued searching the office.

“What the hell are you doing?” The manager was standing in the doorway, aiming a gun at them. His eyes narrowed upon recognizing them. “You two. I told you not to come back here.”

Steve didn’t flinch at the sight of the gun. “Surrender yourself and nobody gets hurt.” He dodged the manager’s gunshot easily. Steve pulled his shield off his back and disabled his disguise. 

The man’s eyes widened at the sight of Steve. “C-Captain America?”

“The one and only,” Steve quipped as he stepped forward, though not with his usual enthusiasm. The manager shot at him, but the shield easily deflected the bullets. Sam, who had disabled his own disguise, knocked the manager out with a strong right hook and Steve put his shield away. As Sam watched over the manager, Steve continued searching the rooms and found a storage facility with massive amounts of drugs stored inside. “Bingo,” Steve said.

Steve returned to Sam and reported what he saw. Sam handcuffed the manager to his desk and used the phone in the office to report what they found to Fury. “He’ll be here in the morning,” Sam told Steve.

They returned to the bungalow and Sam looked as though he wanted to say something. “Good night, Sam,” Steve said before he could speak and laid down on the couch. The events of the evening replayed his mind and the look on Sam’s face when he confessed how he truly felt was burned in his mind. He was unable to sleep as he replayed the entire day and evening over and over again, analyzing what had happened.

When sunlight streamed into the bungalow, Steve forced himself to get up. He rubbed his eyes, his exhaustion finally hitting him. He went to the resort’s coffee shop and put in his and Sam’s orders. “Hello, Lindsay,” Steve waved at the woman as she passed by.

Lindsay looked confused, and Steve realized that he hadn’t put his disguise back on. “Captain America?” Lindsay asked, as she recognized his face.

Steve looked around and quickly said, “You must be mistaken, ma’am.” As soon as the barista handed over his and Sam’s coffee, he walked away quickly and hoped he wouldn’t have to explain everything to her or Rick.

Upon returning to the bungalow, he found Sam waiting for him on the armchair. “Morning,” Steve grunted as he handed Sam his coffee order. “I can’t believe the mission is finally over.”

Sam nodded. “Yeah.” He paused to sip his coffee. “It was a pretty elaborate mission plan for a simple drug bust.”

Steve nodded in agreement. “I haven’t been able to figure out why Fury sent us in for this.”

They both sat in silence, staring at each other. “You’re wrong,” Sam finally said. Steve looked confused. “Our relationship for this mission might not be real, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be.”

Steve gaped at him, struggling to process what he was saying. “What do you mean?”

“The truth is,” Sam explained, “The truth is that the thought of being with you is what I think about as well. I was so excited when Fury assigned this mission to us. I was looking forward to getting to be with you, even if it was just for a mission.”

Steve blinked rapidly, wondering if his lack of sleep was causing him to hallucinate. “What are you saying?” He asked, having trouble believing what he was hearing.

Sam stood up and walked towards him. Putting his hand on Steve’s chin, he leaned in and kissed Steve’s lips. Steve kissed back, feeling the electricity of the kiss travel through his body. This felt different from the other kisses they had already shared, and Steve couldn’t get enough of the feel of Sam’s lips on his, the smell of his cologne, the taste on his tongue.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and they quickly jumped away. “About damn time,” Fury said as he walked towards them. Steve felt a wave of embarrassment at the smirk Fury was giving them. “Good work on the mission,” Fury said looking between them. “The manager you apprehended is in custody and so are the drugs.”

“Thanks,” Steve said. “Why did you need us to pose as newlyweds?” He blurted out before he could stop himself.

Fury smirked. “It was Agent Romanov’s idea.” Both Steve and Sam gaped at him. “She wanted you two to, and this is a direct quote, ‘to stop pining and bone already.’” 

Steve and Sam looked at each other in surprise. Steve couldn’t help but laugh at Natasha’s insistence on trying to set him up with someone all the time. He found that he couldn’t even be annoyed given the results of her meddling. 

An idea crossed his mind and he cleared his throat. “Sir, perhaps there are more dealers in the area that could be involved.” Sam looked curiously at him, and Steve gave him a look. 

A look of recognition crossed Sam’s face. “He’s right. We should stay and make sure there aren’t others.”

Fury paused, raising his eyebrow at them. He finally gave them a knowing smile and said, “We did book the bungalow for the rest of the week. I don’t see why not.” He started to walk towards the door before turning back to them. “Enjoy your vacation,” Fury said before leaving the bungalow.

“Did that just happen?” Sam asked incredulously as Steve looked back at him.

Steve shrugged, a part of him wondered if he had ended up falling asleep and in some kind of dream after all. He pinched himself but found that nothing had changed. “I guess it did.” He smiled over at Sam and said, “Shall we continue our vacation?”

Sam nodded. “For real this time.” Steve leaned in and kissed him again, smiling into the kiss and feeling content.

Steve walked outside and stepped onto the beach. He looked out at the ocean in front of him, taking in its beauty. Turning back to the bungalow, he smiled at Sam, who had come out of the bungalow and was now sitting on the steps. 

“What do you want to do first?” Steve asked as he sat back down next to him. 

Sam shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to try scuba diving.” He paused before adding, “It doesn’t matter what we do, as long as I’m with you.”

Steve smiled back, his heart racing at the declaration. He pinched himself again to determine that he wasn’t actually in some dream. Yet again, nothing changed. “I feel the same way, but we can definitely add scuba diving to our plans.”

For the first time in a long time, he was getting the opportunity to have a true vacation. There was nobody he’d rather be there in paradise with than Sam Wilson. Steve walked back to the bungalow and joined Sam on the steps. He kissed Sam again and thought about the exciting couple of days ahead. He made a mental note to buy Natasha a gift basket when he had the opportunity.


End file.
